Boulder-depressor.



N0. 634,92l. Patented Oct. l7, I899.

.1. L. TOWNER.

BOULDER DEPRESSOR.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1899.)

(N0 Mddel.)

Hu 7 IHHIIII! INVENTQR I JmesLl former ATTORNEY.

, same surface velocity.

' Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

STATES PATENT tries,

BOULDER-DEPR ESSOR.

SPECIFICA'JPION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,921, dated October 17, 1899.

Application filed April 11, 1899, Serial No. 712,677. (No model.)

To all 1071,0721, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMESL. TOWNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boulder-Depressors, of which the following is a clear and sufficient specification, reference being had to the drawings annexed.

In rotary presses, as is well known, the cylinders are arranged in pairs, moving with the One of these cylinders carries the stereotype-plates and is called the plate-cylinder, and the other, which is covered with, usually, two blankets, one of rubber and the other of felt, is called the f. impression-cylinder. Over this latter runs the paper to be printed. As the surface of the impression-cylinder is yielding, the repeated pressure of the plate compresses the portion against which the type impinges, and the places where these do not impinge remain at their original height or even are squeezed to form a permanent annular ridge around the impression-cylinder, rising to a considerablygreater height than the rest of the cylinder. These ridges are called boulders and out the paper along the edge of the printing and cause other objectionable actions. This is frequently observed in poorly-printed newspapers. Hitherto these boulders have been removed by sandpapering or cutting; but in either case when the warp of the felt was reached the blankets had to be thrown away and the work was always troublesome, laborious, and slow and lessened the life of the blankets.

My invention has for its object rolling down these boulders, so that they will be reduced to a level or below the level of the rest of the roll.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a press equipped with my boulder-depressor. Fig. 3 shows the construction of the rings and cylinder and means of securing the same together, and Fig. at is a detail of the housing.

Parallel with the impression-cylinder B and lying on free side of it, or side which not traversed by the paper during the operation of printing, is roller 2. This roller is sup ported at either end from framework A of the press by brackets 3, each carrying the housing 7, in whiehis movable box 4, in which is journaled shaft 5 of roller This box is movable toward and away from impressioncylinder Bby means of screws (5, so that the roller 2 can be brought against or moved away from cylinder B.

Around this roller 2 I place the hoops 8 S 8 8. These are set opposite the boulder on the impression-cylinder B or the places where they would arise, according as the device is intended to be used to roll down boulders already formed or to prevent them from forming. They are secured to the roller 2 by setscrews 9 9, so that they can be slipped along the roll and secured at the desired position thereon. 3y this construction a roll can be shifted from one press to another and a broader or narrower boulder can be rolled down according to the width of the hoop, and the positions of the hoops can be arranged to suit the varying distance apart of the boulders; but where this adj ustability is not required the hoops can be secured in place permanently in any desired manner.

The operation of my device is as follows: If existing boulders are to be rolled down, the roll is adjusted to the back of the impressioncyliuder and the hoops and sliding boxes adjusted until the hoops lie opposite the boulders and the roll is pressed against them, the presses then started, and the impression-cylinder will revolve the roll by frictional contact. While I think it best that the boulders should be rolled down together, still one or two hoops can be shifted along the roll. and the boulders rolled down successively. If the boulders are simply to be prevented from forming, the roll is placed back of the impression-cylinder and adjusted to bear surficiently against it to cause the place where the types of the plate-cylinder do not impinge to be depressed equally with the other parts of the cylinder.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary press, the combination with the impression-cylinder, of a roll, journaled at the back of and in contact with the im pression-cylinder and adjustable toward and away from the same and provided with pro jeeting rings lying opposite the portion of the impression-cylinder, not impinged upon by the printing portion of the plate-cylinder,

substantially as described.

2. In a rotary press, the combination of impression-cylinder the frame-brackets mounted upon the said frame, at the back of said impression-cylinders, housings in said brackets boxes movable in said housings, means for moving said boxes, and a roll journaled in said boxes, and provided With projecting rings thereon, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary press the combination with GEO. W. REIED, MARK WILKs COLLET. 

